Kazuraki

葛城 Mt. Kazuraki

1 Source and/or Related Material

book on the study of waka poems, Collection of Ancient and Modern Poems 1070

2 Author

Unknown

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Hōshō, Komparu, Kongō, Kita

4 Synopsis

A group of mountain ascetics (waki, wakitsure) from Mount Haguro in Dewa Province (Yamagata) arrive at Mt. Kazuraki (Nara), where they are caught in a blizzard. A woman who lives on the mountain (maeshite) offers them shelter from the storm. Inside her home, the woman lights a fire with a bundle of small branches while recalling a poem in the Kokinshū about snow falling on Mt. Kazuraki, while dancing the ancient Yamato-mai. Later, the priests decide to conduct a late-night service. The woman begins to exhibit various signs of divine decay and suffering, and reveals that she is the goddess of Kazuraki. She asks the priests to pray for her, then vanishes. A local man (ai) arrives and describes the details of the goddess’ suffering in a legend about the stone bridge on Mt. Kazuraki. Following the man’s advice, the priests begin to pray for the goddess’ consolation. The goddess (nochishite) appears, revealing her form in which she is bound with the diamond cables of Fudō Myōō. She dances the Yamato-mai, and as she dances, she fades with the coming of dawn.